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Inflorescence:
Racemose or solitary axillary.
Flower:
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Bracteate, pedicellate, hermaphrodite, complete, zygomorphic, hypogynous.
Calyx:
Sepals 5, connate at the base valvate aestivation.
Corolla:
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Petals 5, polypetalous, papilionaceous, descending imbricate aestivation, one posterior long standard, two lateral short wings, two anterior petals jointed to each other forming keel.
Androecium:
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 fused with each other on anterior side, one free on posterior side. Anther lobes bilocular, dorsifixed, introse.
Gynoecium:
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Monocarpellary, unilocular, marginal placentation, ovary superior.
Fruit: Legume
Economic importance
(A) Plants used as food:
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(1) Pulses:
Various kinds of pulses are obtained from the plants of this subfamily, e.g. garden pea = edible peas (Pisum sativum) gram (Cicer arietinum), Lobia (Vigna sinensis), Arhar (Cajanus cajan), Masoor (Lens esculenta), Urd (Phaseolus mungo), Mung (P. aureus). Pulses are rich source of protein.
(2) Sem:
(Dolichos lablab), Lobia (Vigna sinensis), Pea (Pisum sativum) are used as vegetables. Leaves of Trigonella are also used as vegetable.
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(3) Groundnut (Archis hypogea). Its embryo is used is preparation of vegetables ghee. Soyabeen (Glycine soja)-from it a special type of milk is extracted which is rich in protein.
(B) Plants used in medicines:
(1) Clitoria ternatea : Leaves and flowers are used in snake bite.
(2) Desmodium gangetium : Roots are used in diarrhoea, cough, asthma, snake and scorpion bite.
(C) Fibre yielding plants:
(1) Crotolaria juncea = Sunn hemp
(D) Ornamental plants:
(1) Sesbanea grandiflora
(2) Butea monosperma
(3) Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea = wild pea)
(E) Plants used in manufacture of Dyes:
(1) Indigofera tinctoria
(2) Erythrina variegata
(3) Pterocarpus santalinus (red sandal wood)
(F) Timber yielding plants:
(1) Dalbergia sissoo (Shesham)
(G) Spice yielding plants:
(1) Trigonella Foenum graecum (methi)
Systemic position:
Division – Angiospemae
Class – Dicotyledonae
Sub-class – Polypetalae
Series – Calyciflorae
Order – Rosales
Family – Leguminosae
Sub-family – Papilionatae
Sub-family Caesalpinoideae
Inflorescence:
Raceme, umbel or solitary flower.
Flower:
Bracteate or ebracteate, pedicellate, hermaphrodite, complete, zygomorphic, hypogynous.
Calyx:
Sepals 5, polysepalous, imbricate aestivation.
Corolla:
Petals 5, polypetalous, ascending imbricate aestivation.
Androecium:
10 stamens, or staminodes are found in cassia, free filaments of unequal size, anther lobes bilocular, introse, versatile.
Gynoecium:
Monocarpellary, unilocular ovary superior, marginal placentation, stigma capitate.
Fruit: Legume
Economic Importance
(A) Plants used in Medicines:
(1) Cassia occidentalis: In skin diseases.
(2) C. glauca: Bark & leaves are used in diabetes & gonorrhea.
(3) C. fistula: Fleshy mass of fruits is used as purgative.
(4) Tamarindus indica : Its fruits and leaves are used in digestion.
(B) Plants used as food:
(1) Bauhinia variegata (Kachnar) buds are used as vegetables.
(C) Plants used in Dye Manufacture:
(1) Hematoxylon campechianum
(2) Caesalpinea sappam
(D) Plants used in leather tanning:
The bark of some of the species of Bauhinia and Caesalpinia is used in leather tanning.
(E) Ornamental plants:
(1) Delonix regia: Gulmohar.
(2) Caesalpinia pulcherima: Peacock flower.
(3) Saraca indica: Ashok.
(4) Cassia fistula: Amaltas.
Sub-family Mimosoideae
Inflorescence:
Head or capitulum or spike. Flowers arranged in acropetal succession.
Flower:
Bracteate or ebracteate, sessile, hermaphrodite, complete, actinomorphic hypogynous, pentamerous.
Calyx:
Sepals 4-5, gamosepalous, connate at the base, valvate aestivation.
Corolla:
Petals 4-5, gamopetalous, or polypetalous, membranous, valvate aestivation.
Androecium:
Stamens many, free in many whorls, filaments long, dithecous, introse.
Gynoecium:
Monocarpellary, unilocular, ovary superior, style long, cylindrical, stigma single and capitate, marginal placentation.
Fruit: Lomentum.
Economic Importance
(1) Timber yielding plants: Albizia lebbek (Sires) Adenanthera pavonina.
(2) Fibres yielding plants: Acacia leucophloea.
(3) Gum yielding plant: Acacia sps.
(4) Perfume yielding plant-Acacia famesiana : Its flowers are used to extract perfume.
(5) Ornamental plants: Neptunia oleracea, Prosopis spicigera, Mimosa pudica, Pitheclobium dulce.
(6) Dye yielding plant: From the heart wood of Acacia catechu a dye ‘Kathha’ is obtained.